Home News Latest News Hopes high for school site deal

Hopes high for school site deal

Friday, 15 January 2010

AN END is finally in sight for the completion of a long-running battle to secure a site for two Dublin 15 primary schools. Northside People can reveal that Fingal County Council hopes to complete the purchase of the Tyrrelstown site - a deal which has been on the table for over a year - next Wednesday (January 20). The site is earmarked for construction of long overdue permanent buildings for Mulhuddart National School and Tyrrelstown Educate Together. The welcome news marks the end of a long-running and frustrating battle between the landowner and Fingal County Council. The completion of the land deal also marks the start of the process to get the buildings up and running within nine months in time for the next school year. School staff, pupils and parents will be relieved with the news after having their hopes repeatedly dashed in 2009 when talks between the landowner and the council broke-down and stalled a number of times. A spokesperson for Fingal County Council told Northside People that it hopes the deal will be completed without any more delays next week. “All legal requirements to complete the purchase of the school site at Tyrrelstown on behalf of the Department of Education and Science have been met by Fingal County Council,” she stated. “Assuming that all requirements are met on the part of the vendor and that all documents and paperwork required of the vendor are in order, we are scheduled to complete the purchase of this land on Wednesday, January 20.” Parent Charlie Cleary, whose son attends Tyrrelstown Educate Together, welcomed the news but remained doubtful that the schools could be completed before September. “It certainly is great news because it’s been a very long time coming,” he told Northside People. “But the question is whether there is enough time to build and complete two schools in such a short time frame. “The negotiations to acquire the site have dragged on so long that I really am sceptical now at this stage, even in terms of whether the deal will be completed on time. “However, seeing is believing. Hopefully my son will be starting his new school year next September in his new school building.” Local TD Leo Varadkar (FG) also welcomed the news that the deal was is nearing completion. However, he too had some reservations as to whether the deal would finally be signed. “It would be great if the landowner and the council could seal the deal,” he said. “However, we can’t really celebrate anything until we see the stamp on the contract.” “There have been so many false starts on this that unfortunately I’ll believe the deal has been done when I see it. “But I remain more hopeful than sceptical and fingers crossed everything goes ahead as planned.” Cllr Kieran Dennison (FG) also urged locals not to get their hopes up once again. “We’ve been told so many times before that the deal was nearing completion and then all talks collapsed again,” he stated. “At many stages over the last 18 months or so it felt like things were moving backward rather than forward.”